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Also known as Echocardiography

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What is ECHO?Why is the ECHO done?Who should get the ECHO done?What precautions should I take?What does the ECHO measure?What are all tests included in the ECHO?ECHO Preparation ECHO Procedure What to expect after the ECHO is done?When will I get the ECHO report?How will I get the ECHO report?How to interpret the Echo report?Is there any risk involved?What equipment or instruments are used for ECHO?How long does the ECHO take?Frequently asked questions on ECHO

What is ECHO?

An echocardiogram employs high-frequency sound waves that bounce off the body to scan the heart and blood arteries. The probe picks up these echoes and displays them as moving images on a monitor during the scan. A cardiologist or any doctor who thinks you have a heart condition, including your general physician, may recommend an echocardiogram.

A cardiologist or a trained expert is a cardiac physiologist who will normally perform the test in a hospital or clinic.

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Why is the ECHO done?

The doctor may advise this test-

To detect abnormality of the heart associated with valves and pumping.
To detect heart muscle damage and the problem with the blood flow.
To check for heart clots.
To determine problems with the aorta.
To detect heart defects.
To determine pacemaker-related issues.
To detect functioning of the heart, especially after a heart attack.
To determine the efficiency with which the heart pumps blood
To determine the cause of an abnormal electrical heart test, called an EKG
To detect adult cardiac illness like heart muscle weakening, leaky or blocked valves, and chamber enlargement.
To monitor the heart’s pressure to detect pulmonary hypertension.
To find newborns and kids with heart defects.

Who should get the ECHO done?

A person needs an ECHO test in the following situations:

Atherosclerosis: A gradual blockage of the arteries by fatty compounds and other substances may affect your heart’s wall motion or pumping function.
Cardiomyopathy: Thick or weak heart muscle enlarges the heart
Heart failure: During relaxation, the heart muscle weakens or stiffens, preventing efficient blood pumping and causing swelling in the ankles, feet, and other body regions.
Aneurysm: Heart muscle or aorta enlargement and weakness. The aneurysm may rupture.
Heart valve disease: A heart valve problem can cause irregular blood flow. The valves can get narrow, restricting blood flow to the heart, lungs, and body. Reverse blood flow occurs when the valves become leaky.
Cardiac tumour: Heart tumours can form on the heart’s surface, in one or more chambers, or the heart’s muscle tissue (myocardium).
Pericardial effusion or tamponade: An infected or fluid-filled sac around the heart. It can lead to an abnormal heartbeat. These include lightheadedness, dizziness, and a severe drop in blood pressure.

What precautions should I take?

Please follow your doctor’s instructions.
Inform if one is on any medications or if any ongoing treatment is going on.
Show your old reports, if any.
Inform if one is pregnant / breast-feeding / menstruating.

What does the ECHO measure?

The most often performed kind of echocardiography. A transducer is a small device placed on the chest above the heart to monitor heart rate. The transducer sends ultrasound waves to the heart. Sound waves bounce back to the transducer, where a computer interprets them. It generates the live visuals seen on a monitor. A health professional will follow established guidelines for collecting various sorts of images and information.

What are all tests included in the ECHO?

M-mode echocardiography

It is the most basic kind of echocardiography; it provides an image that resembles a trace rather than an image of the heart components. M-mode ECHO accurately measures cardiac structures such as pumping chambers, heart size, and wall thickness.

Doppler Echocardiography

Doppler detects blood flow across the heart’s chambers and valves. Per beat blood flow rate reveals the heart’s efficiency. It may also identify irregular blood flow inside the heart, indicating problems with one or more of its four valves or walls.

Colour doppler

An enhanced version of Doppler echocardiography is colour doppler. Colour Doppler uses various colours to identify blood flow direction, simplifying Doppler interpretation.

2-D echocardiography

This method sees the heart’s action. A cone-shaped 2-D echo image on the monitor shows the heart’s structures moving in real-time, allowing the doctor to evaluate the different heart structures.

3-D echocardiography

3-D echo captures more detail of heart structures than a 2-D echo. By measuring the heart’s function while beating, live images allow for a more precise evaluation. 3-D echo provides better images of the heart’s structure and may help decide a patient’s treatment strategy.

ECHO Preparation

Do not drink or eat for several hours before the test.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions.
If you’re breastfeeding or pregnant, tell your doctor.
You must inform the doctor and staff at the centre about any of your implants, pacemaker devices, and vascular stents.
You must remove all the jewellery before undergoing the test.
The test requires you to wear a hospital gown.
Before the test, you must stop using specific medications. Thus, it is better to inform you about all the medicines you consume before getting the test done.
Depending on your health, your doctor may request additional preparation.

ECHO Procedure

Echocardiography generally consists of the following:

Remove any jewellery or other things that could obstruct the procedure. Glasses, dentures, and hearing aids are all permissible.
You have to wear a gown and remove all your clothes.
Lie left side on the table. Support your back with a pillow or wedge.
The ECG monitor records the heart’s electrical activity and monitors the heart during the surgery using small sticky electrodes. Comparing ECG tracings to echocardiography images
The room darkened so the technologist could see the echo monitor images.
The technician will then place the transducer probe on your chest. Place the transducer on your chest to receive the desired heart images.
When you go in for your test, a technician will slide the transducer probe around your heart. The pressure behind the probe should not be painful if it bothers you during the procedure, you may need to hold or deepen your breath.
Use an IV contrast if your heart’s structures are difficult to see. Because this contrast does not contain iodine, it is safe for anyone allergic to shrimp or shellfish.
The technologist will next remove the gel and ECG electrode pads.

What to expect after the ECHO is done?

Majority of patients may resume their normal activities after a transthoracic echocardiogram. Individuals who have a transesophageal echocardiogram may need to remain in the hospital or healthcare centre for many hours after the procedure. Initially, they may have a sore throat.

Before the assessment, individuals who got a sedative should avoid driving for many hours afterward.

When will I get the ECHO report?

Your doctor will create a report summarising the results of your echo, in which they will detail the heart anatomy, heart motions, and any abnormalities seen during the exam. You may obtain the report within a few days to several weeks. Your doctor may schedule a meeting with you to go over the results and plan your next steps because of the detailed nature of the results.

Disclaimer: The time of report delivery may vary based on your condition and the availability of the radiologist.

How will I get the ECHO report?

In certain situations, the person doing the scan may discuss the results with you shortly after it is complete and analyse the scan’s pictures before providing results to the doctor who ordered the test. Following that, your doctor will review the results with you at your next visit.

How to interpret the Echo report?

After the test, the sonographer will send the echocardiographic images to the physician who ordered the test. The doctor will examine the images and check for signs of heart disease, including the following:

Muscular damage in the heart
Ventricle walls that are thick or thin
Oversized chambers
Defective valves
Decreased pumping power
Heart masses, including blood clots or tumours

Is there any risk involved?

A normal transthoracic echocardiogram has no known risks or consequences. Echocardiograms are a form of ultrasonography that generates pictures via sound waves, and Echocardiograms do not employ radiation like X-rays.

While transesophageal echocardiogram is usually safe, it is an invasive procedure. This procedure involves inserting a specialised tool into the neck and oesophagus. It may result in:

Heart rate is slow
Adverse reaction to sedatives or anaesthetics
Breathing difficulties

What equipment or instruments are used for ECHO?

Echocardiography requires an echocardiography machine, a suitable transducer, and contrast material for contrast examinations. Proper echocardiogram machine settings are critical.

How long does the ECHO take?

A technician will apply gel to your chest, followed by a transducer—a little instrument fashioned like a microphone.

The transducer directs sound waves in the direction of your heart. As with a submarine’s sonar, waves bounce off the heart’s structures and return to the transducer, where collected then analysed by a computer and shown on a monitor as a visual representation of your beating heart.

They move the transducer to see the heart from various angles. You have to hold your breath or lie on the side. Transthoracic echocardiograms typically take between 30 to 60 minutes to perform.

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Frequently asked questions on ECHO

How will I feel after the echo?

Patients can usually resume normal activities and eat and drink after an echocardiogram. Follow your doctor’s food and exercise recommendations.

You should have no adverse effects or symptoms after your echocardiogram. Notify your doctor immediately if you have any following symptoms: dizziness, vomiting, chest discomfort, difficulty swallowing, or shortness of breath.

When am I allowed to go home?

You will most likely discharge immediately after an outpatient echocardiogram. Your physician will discuss the results with you in more detail later. Occasionally, people remain to discuss the results with their physician or cardiologist and undergo further testing. If admitted to the hospital, you will almost definitely stay for additional assessment and treatment.

When should I consult a doctor?

It is critical to maintain your echocardiogram follow-up appointments. In between checkups, contact your doctor with any concerns. Get medical help if you feel chest pain or shortness of breath.

What should you avoid doing before having an echocardiogram?

Do not drink or eat for four hours before the test. Twenty-four hours before, abstain from caffeine-containing beverages and foods (cola, chocolate, coffee, tea, or medications). Avoid smoking on the day of the examination. Caffeine and nicotine may affect the result.

Does the echo perform on an empty stomach?

Once the transesophageal echocardiography is complete, the patient is usually sedated to tolerate the operation, avoid vomiting and aspiration into their lungs, and the stomach should be empty. Several hours before the procedure, the patient must not eat or drink anything except water.

Can you have coffee before an echo?

Avoid caffeinated beverages for at least 24 hours before the test, as caffeine can affect the results.

What does a normal echo entail?

Normal results indicate that your heart and valves are functioning normally and that the volume of blood pumped out by your heart is normal.

So how can I know if my echo is normal?

When the heart’s chambers and valves appear and function normally, the test is normal. More precisely, this implies that your heart is free of visible blood clots or tumours, and your heart valves function normally.

What if my echocardiogram is abnormal?

The symptoms are bulging neck veins, arm swelling, nausea, and fainting. Abnormal echocardiogram results assist physicians in determining if more testing is necessary or whether you need treatment.

What echocardiogram colours are bad?

If you look closely, you can see that the mitral valve has extensive prolapse in this echocardiography. You can observe the anterior and posterior mitral valve leaflets failing to close completely. The echocardiogram’s uncontrolled mixture of red and blue colours indicates considerable backward blood flow.

Is anxiety a factor in echocardiogram interpretation?

Premature ventricular contractions are a symptom of sympathetic overactivity brought on by anxiety. However, worry may cause electrocardiographic (ECG) changes in a healthy individual with a normal heart.

Is it common to pain after an echo?

This non-invasive imaging approach has little to no risks. You may experience pain due to the transducer’s location since it may exert pressure on the body’s surface. For some individuals, the need to remain still on the exam table during the treatment may cause discomfort or pain.

How are echo results read?

An echocardiogram’s resulting image may provide a detailed picture of the heart’s health, function, and strength. For instance, the test may reveal if the heart enlarges or its walls thicken. Walls that exceed 1.5cm in thickness are abnormal, and they may indicate hypertension and weakened or damaged valves.

Why is it necessary to hold one's breath during an echo?

You have to change positions and hold your breath. It enables the sonographer to get the highest quality images. Occasionally, the sonographer may press the transducer harder against your skin.

Is it possible for anxiety to result in an enlarged heart?

Stress and anxiety elevate cortisol levels, which raise blood pressure and heart rate. Frequent blood pressure spikes damage the heart muscle and ultimately result in coronary disease.

Disclaimer: The content is uniquely informative and is meant for educational use. Kindly use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified or registered healthcare provider.